On the surface, Hal Gill is a bad skater for NHL standards. For a guy his size he really doesn’t engage physically as much as he should. He doesn’t move the puck up the ice like Andrei Markov. He rarely gets points and is never seen on the ice for powerplays. Gill has been a whipping boy this season for fans that look at his physical tools and can’t understand how he makes $2.25 million dollars.

For all the “crap” that is poured onto Gill, you have to give credit where credit is due, and I don’t think anyone can dispute the fact that the 6’7 defenseman has been one of Montreal’s most valuable players in these playoffs, and he is one of the main reasons why Montreal will play a seventh game against the #1 Washington Capitals. He is truly the Canadiens’ unsung hero (with an honorable mention to Josh Gorges).

Sure – Halak has been exceptional, especially last night. Mike Cammalleri has been on fire offensively. Tomas Plekanec has been an incredible 2-way player in this series. But no one does the things that Gill does – you know; those little things that make the difference in a short 7 game playoff series.

Gill has been an absolute force with his long stick. He leads the team with a +1 plus/minus rating, which is even more impressive considering he plays a lot of minutes against Washington’s top 2 lines. He has blocked 25 shots in 6 games, which is second to only Anton Volchenkov in the NHL. His total shorthanded time on ice in the series is 29:37 (close to 5 minutes per game), yet he has only been on the ice for 1 goal against while on the PK.

$2.25 million for a player like that who elevates his game in the playoffs sounds about right.

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Written by Corey Krakower
I am the Director of NHL Content & Habs writer for ProSportsBlogging.com; I have spent 8 seasons behind the bench as a minor hockey coach; and I am the future GM of the Montreal Canadiens (according to my mom). I spend my days managing the Harrow Sports brand in my hometown of Montreal and I moonlight as a Hockey Advisor for Pi Athlete Management. Most importantly, I'll throw anyone under the bus for a laugh.

9 Comments

In response to ““A Tall Order” – the story of Montreal’s most underappreciated player”

Just wanted to share a comment I got via email from a “hockey mom”. She is the mother of a player I have coached on 4 different teams.

“I did notice that in the last 3 games, he has played well – mostly because he has restricted himself to (expletive) he is good at. It was the same during the series against Detroit last year. He and Oprik and scuderi were fantastic (and of course Gonchar) – Gill did what he was supposed to do. During the season, he plays like crap because he does things he shouldn’t even imagine doing in his dreams. Maybe he should only play in games 5,6 and 7 of playoff series.”

I agree with you and disagree with the comment you posted. He was a -10 during the regular season, but that is not entirely his fault. Markov plays with guys who generate offense (e.g. the Gomez line and the Plekanec line). Gill is usually on the ice with Lapierre, who is generally pretty bad.

When the Canadiens first signed him, I was upset. I really didn’t see any value there. However, what really turned me around was his penalty killing technique. He goes to the side of the net and lies on the ice. He’s so big and has such a long stick that he is able to block passing lanes.

He really has played well, along with Gorges. I will be happy with them as the 5th and 6th defensemen for many years (more so Gorges, since Gill is 35).

Looking forward, I am anxiously awaiting the day when the Canadiens’ top 4 defensemen are Markov, Subban, O’Byrne, and Gorges with Weber and someone else. Besides Weber, that will likely happen next year.

“Having said all of that, that’s not the main reason why I feel that this is the right decision. The Canadiens are entering a very important offseason with 2 goalies that are #1s, and both are restricted free agents. They need to see both in the playoffs to be able to make an informed decision about their value cap-wise. Not that one game will be the deciding factor, but, especially with goalies, you need to see how they handle pressure and how they perform in the playoffs. If Carey Price wasn’t named the starter tonight, I don’t know how they could realistically determine how valuable he is to their team.”